Did Wake County teacher encourage bullying?

A Wake County mother alleges her son came home from classes at Zebulon Elementary Gifted and Talented Magnet School with bullying letters from classmates that she says appear to have been encouraged by the boy's teacher.

The notes that came home with 7-year-old Deyveon Utley arrived about two weeks before the end of school. Sherita Womack told ABC11 she was shocked.

"It says, it says, 'I just want to kick him and punch him in the head until he's dead. I mean it. It's heaven or a grave,'" said Womack.

It's not clear why the letters were written. They reference Deyveon teasing other students and not being quiet in class. But there's no mention of roughness or serious bullying, and Deyveon's mother says his behavior has never been an issue.

"I don't understand why [the teacher] never contacted me if Deyveon was such a big problem," said Womack.

Womack said there were no emails or phone calls from the teacher. She told ABC11 the episode has put a strain on her family. She said her son is now in therapy.

"Don't nobody know the questions I have to answer when he talks about somebody killing him," said Womack.

The Wake school district's policies on bullying are clearly laid out for students and employees, and the district appears to be following them. We're told the teacher was suspended with pay within a week of the letters going home.

But Womack says whatever happens, her faith in Wake schools is gone for good.

"I don't care what they do. I would never trust them again. Never," she offered.

Womack says she wants to see the teacher fired and is considering pulling Deyveon from traditional public schools next year and putting him in a charter instead.

The school system - citing personnel privacy - will only tell us the teacher has been suspended.